tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28992453204958752382024-03-05T01:32:46.229-05:00eInk ReviewsQuality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.comBlogger803125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-45760622797515001442015-01-16T08:00:00.000-05:002015-01-18T01:35:03.923-05:00Anna's Secret, A Turnip Hoe & A #Crime of Passion by Margaret Westlie @MargaretWestlie #HistFic #MustRead<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
have been steeped in the stories about my ancestors since my birth.
They may have even seeped into me through the walls of the womb. <i>Anna’s Secret</i> is
a story I’ve heard many times from various people. The latest version
was from my Uncle Harold. He said that one of our own people was
suspected of the crime of murdering Anne Beaton with a turnip hoe. It
was said that she was no better than she should be and was doing a
little marital wandering with someone in the community. For a long time
the smithy was suspected. He was in custody for a period but was
finally exonerated and left Prince Edward Island for good. Ultimately
the authorities decided that the crime was perpetrated by a woman and
was in fact, a crime of passion. This last was pronounced with great
relish. They never found the person responsible. It seems that Anne
had greatly riled a wronged wife, and probably several.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
story caught my imagination and I began to wonder: what if she wasn’t
who they thought she was? What if the reason for her murder was entirely
different? What if the murderer was discovered? Who would it be? Her
husband? The wronged woman? The man she was said to be involved
with? There was a lot to play with here. In a technical sense, how
close to reality could I be without offending descendents? Not too
close, I decided. Anyway, it’s more fun to write what pops into my mind
and see how it plays out.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As
I wrote, the narrative opened like a flower as I examined the
individuals who I decided were involved. Who were they? What
relationship did they hold to Anna and to her family and to each other?
How did Old Annie figure into it? After all she was a daft old woman
who had to be transported to gatherings in a wheelbarrow because she
couldn’t be left alone. Most of the time she didn’t know anyone and
lived in her mind very far in the past with people she knew in her
youth. What did she have to do with Anna’s murder? After all, she and
Anna had been life-long friends.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And
what did it do to the community? Their sense of safety was shattered
and people took to locking their doors, some even in the daytime. This
was in a community that never locked its doors even in my grandmother’s
time. I remember this from my childhood. The only time the door was
locked was if they were going to be away for an extended period because,
what if someone needed something and they weren’t home to give it to
them? I remember my own mother telling me a story about an old man who
peddled goods and trinkets door-to-door. He was a little simple as they
say here. They woke up one morning and discovered him asleep on the
lounge with a blazing fire in the stove. After the murder, people were
afraid to walk out alone at night.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As
the story progressed it took awhile for me to realize who the real
perpetrator was and the denouement was almost as much a surprise to me
as it will be to you.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/annasSecret.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anna
Gillis, the midwife and neighbour in Mattie’s Story, has been found
killed. The close-knit community is deeply shaken by this eruption of
violence, and neighbours come together to help one another and to
discover the perpetrator. But the answer lies Anna’s secret, long
guarded by Old Annie, the last of the original Selkirk Settlers, and the
protagonist of An Irregular Marriage. Join the community! Read Anna’s
Secret and other novels by Margaret A. Westlie.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IEEXUMO" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a> & <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/418795" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Fiction, mystery, historical</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – G</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Margaret-Westlie/e/B00HZRKK10" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Connect</b> with Margaret Westlie on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/margaretwestlienovelist" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/MargaretWestlie" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.margaretwestlie.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29ilE1Iu2yMnk-3FJ1ZhE-qq3C3Qg" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.margaretwestlie.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-45649432843914466982015-01-15T09:00:00.000-05:002015-01-15T13:05:36.007-05:00#Excerpt from SAGA OF THE NINE : AREA 38 by Mikey D. B. @mikeydbii #SagaoftheNine #Dystopian #Thriller <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
rusty metal box is as tempting as it is frightening and the taunting
dilemma puts Joe and Jackson on the edge of their seats. Tentatively,
Jackson flips the latches and carefully unpicks the lock. Rust
particles tumble to the table top to yield a euphoric mystery. It was
buried for a reason--a reason good enough to kill for. Books will at
the very least put them on stage with Christopher; it’s conspiracy
against The Government. Audio is labeled as disturbing the peace,
therefore you’ll be on stage. Pictures disturb the mind, and ideas the
heart. The two friends are all too aware that the box most likely
contains something that will eventually lead to their demise.</span></span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Should we?” Jackson’s hands rest on either side of the lid hoping Joe says “no” but secretly wanting him to say “hell yeah!”.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Hesitantly Joe masks his anticipation. “Yeah. Why not?”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That’s
not confirmation filled with enthusiasm, but Jackson pries the rusty
box open without delving into the endless reasons as to why or why not.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“A book!” Joe instantly shouts, the memories flooding back to him.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All
fear is gone. Joe yanks it out and begins flapping dust in every
direction as he flips through the delicate paper pages. Jackson counts
it and every artifact carefully to create a mental inventory: a black
fat book, three dark blue books, an ancient audio device, a series of
discs and a chain necklace.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Immediately
Jackson reaches for the only object that won’t get him killed and
begins to examine the tiny metal links of the necklace. He slips it
over his head and dangles the relic from his neck, watching the ancient
key swing from left to right until his jacket stops the momentum. Next
he reaches for the audio device, surprised technology like this can
still be found.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Holy
Bible? Odd word, bible.” Wonder why it’s holy, he thinks before
slamming the black book down, creating a wave of dust in the process.
Frantically, he then reaches for one of the discs and asks, “What’s a
CD?”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“And
what’s an iPod?” Jackson mumbles to himself, reading the metallic
lettering. He flips the device over and notices a small red button.
Pressing it, the screen illuminates. A small white apple appears for a
short while until a bright menu takes its place.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Wow!” Joe proclaims. “It still works!”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yeah, I think it has one of those solar, nuclear, forever lasting batteries.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Where the hell did yuh hear that?”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“A friend.” Jackson thinks of Conner and the tidbits of random knowledge he’s accumulated from him.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Joe
is about to delve in and interrogate Jackson as to which friend he is
talking about, but becomes distracted by the shimmering of the CD
object. “What do you make of these?” Joe hands him a small stack of
plastic square casings. Inside each casing sits a shiny, compact disc.
Joe picks up one labeled<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>John Mayer<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>and is quick to discover the glare that can be created when angling them just right. Without hesitating he blinds Jackson.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“These things are awesome!” He giggles with joy. He can’t believe he found it, and in all places Grandma Lisa’s old yard.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Yeah,
super cool.” Jackson places the small stack down and goes back to the
iPod device. He scrolls through the various menus until finding a
series of foreign words. “American Backstory, The USA: a founding?”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Hey Jackson! This one has yer name on it. Well kind of.” Joe hands him one of the shiny encased discs labeled:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>The Rouge Family: DIA BBQ USA HQ Oct 14, 2037</i>.
Jackson shivers at reading the words, and as Joe continues to reflect
light throughout the room, Jackson makes one more discovery<i>. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>Picking up a petite tan envelope found in between one of the blue books labeled<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Journal</i>,
he compresses the contents to feel a number of different pieces of
papers. He spins it around to reveal one last spooky sight.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“To
Jackson from Mom and Dad.” He reads it reverently and in seconds, a
rush of adrenalin floods through his veins. “Joe. Put everything back
in the box. Now!” </span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Saga-of-the-Nine.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Saga-of-the-Nine.jpg"><img alt="Saga of the Nine" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41059" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Saga-of-the-Nine.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Saga-of-the-Nine.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Change
affects everyone and it is no different for Jackson. Living in Area 38
for as long as he can remember, he knows of no better way to exist than
under the tyrannical rule of Christopher Stone, son of Stewart Stone
from The Nine of The United Governmental Areas, aka The UGA. This all
takes a dramatic turn when Jackson finds a red, metal box buried in his
yard, filled with illegal artifacts—journals, a Bible, CDs, etc.—that
are from a man of whom he has no recollection of: Mica Rouge.</span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> The
year is 2036 and Mica, unlike Jackson, does know of a better way of
life but is torn apart as he sees his country, The United States of
America, crumbling from within by group known as The Political Mafia.
The Mafia has infiltrated levels upon levels of governmental resources
and it is up to Mica and a vigilante group known as The USA Division to
stop them and their dark Utopian vision. To their demise, and at the
country's expense, The Division fails and has no choice but to watch The
Constitution dissolve and transform into The UGA.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
a final stand, having not given up hope, Mica and what is left of The
Division, give one final fight in Colorado, or better known as Area 38.
However, all is lost as The Division is betrayed by one of their own,
Stewart Stone. Mica is left with no choice but to hide in exile, leaving
what little history he can of himself and the great United States of
America, with his wife, long time friends, and newly born son in hopes
that they will one day finish what he could not.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jackson,
having found this legacy twenty-seven years later, decides to start the
war that will end The Nine, and he with an outcast group known as The
Raiders, begins his fight with Christopher Stone in Area 38. Filled with
betrayal, unity, despair, hope, hate and love Area 38 follows both Mica
and Jackson in their attempts to restore what they believe to be true
freedom, and where one fails, the other rises to the seemingly
impossible challenge.</span></span></div>
</div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Nine-Mikey-D-B-ebook/dp/B00I3I8R9W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1391036693&sr=1-1&keywords=mikey+d.+b." href="http://www.amazon.com/Saga-Nine-Mikey-D-B-ebook/dp/B00I3I8R9W/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1391036693&sr=1-1&keywords=mikey+d.+b." target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Dystopian Thriller</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Mikey%20D.%20B.&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Mikey%20D.%20B.&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Mikey D. B. on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mikey-D-B/193122724228568?ref=hl" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mikey-D-B/193122724228568?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> &<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/mikeydbii" href="https://twitter.com/mikeydbii" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mikeydb.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29rFXKoKCy5nHRPTeDOI1JD41dROQ" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.mikeydb.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29rFXKoKCy5nHRPTeDOI1JD41dROQ" target="_blank">www.mikeydb.com</a></b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-25512526703970022802015-01-13T07:00:00.000-05:002015-01-13T11:10:54.740-05:00A LIFE LESS ORDINARY #Excerpt by Victoria Bernadine @VicBernadine #Goodreads #ChickLit #Women<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Manny
laid in bed, staring up at the ceiling and waiting for sleep. She
plucked restlessly at the blanket and wished she could relax. Tomorrow
was Steph’s first staff meeting. Today she’d reacquainted herself with
everyone in the office then spent the rest of the day with Manny being
briefed on the details of the work of the branch and any current issues
she’d need to resolve within the next few days. That meant Manny’s own
work had been delayed, and tomorrow it would be delayed again–and Manny
would have to leave early in order to meet Rebecca and Daisy at the
lounge for drinks before heading to the club.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Manny
took a deep breath and slowly let it out. It wouldn’t be too bad, she
staunchly told herself. Steph was young, energetic, and had a shrewd
intelligence almost obscured by the cleavage-revealing shirts, short
skirts and a figure that could stop traffic–and probably did. Manny
wondered if Craig truly understood what he’d gotten himself in for by
promoting Steph rather than Manny.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Cleavage and legs.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She mentally rolled her eyes at Harvey’s dry, cynical tones.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Maybe–but that’s not really fair to him, is it? He’s not a bad guy.</i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>But he is just a guy.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>She
does bring a new perspective–a new way of thinking about things. She’s
not a bad choice–and I can’t argue with Craig’s idea that shaking things
up could make things better.</i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>And where does that leave you?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>No worse off than I was before.</i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>And no better.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>If you’re not going to be helpful…</i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Harvey
glanced down at his suddenly ruffled shirt opened to the middle of his
muscled chest and skin-tight breeches. He glanced back at her with a
ruefully amused smile.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Watched the Ice Pirates again, did you?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Oh, shut up–it’s a classic no matter what anybody else thinks!</i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I’m
just sayin’–if I was real and regularly wore pants this tight, I’m not
sure I’d be of any use to you. If you know what I mean.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Manny
groaned and shook her head, and Harvey blinked out of existence. She
wondered when she’d managed to lose control of a figment of her
imagination–one she’d eventually felt compelled to name after an
invisible rabbit.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She groaned again, rolled over and pulled the covers over her head. It was going to be another long day tomorrow.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Complete with dancing.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ALifeLessOrdinary.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div id="outer_postBodyPS" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<div id="postBodyPS">
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For
the last fifteen years, Rose “Manny” Mankowski has been a very good
girl. She turned her back on her youthful fancies and focused on her
career. But now, at the age of 45, she’s questioning her choices and
feeling more and more disconnected from her own life. When she’s passed
over for promotion and her much younger new boss implies Manny’s life
will never change, something snaps. In the blink of an eye, she’s quit
her job, sold her house and cashed in her pension, and she’s leaving
town on a six month road trip.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After
placing a personal ad for a travelling companion, she’s joined in her
mid-life crisis by Zeke Powell, the cynical, satirical, most-read – and
most controversial – blogger for the e-magazine, What Women Want. Zeke’s
true goal is to expose Manny’s journey as a pitiful and desperate
attempt to reclaim her lost youth – and increase his readership at the
same time. Leaving it all behind for six months is just an added bonus.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now,
armed with a bagful of destinations, a fistful of maps, and an
out-spoken imaginary friend named Harvey, Manny’s on a quest to
rediscover herself – and taking Zeke along for the ride.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AMJBOSQ" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a> & <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/299257" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – ChickLit, Contemporary Fiction</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Bernadine/e/B00AN2VS5G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Connect</b> with Victoria Bernadine on <a href="https://twitter.com/VicBernadine" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Blog <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://victoriabernadine.wordpress.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2_NZu0iup6n2vJwBd--NRvslbSPnw" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">victoriabernadine.wordpress.com</a></b></span></span></div>
</div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-53609290448431728942015-01-01T09:00:00.000-05:002015-04-10T06:14:57.629-04:00John E. Wade II Shares Topics & Inspiration for "Glimpses of Heaven on Earth" #AmReading #Motivation #SelfHelp<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">I very much enjoyed writing<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Glimpses of Heaven on Earth</i>,
as an inspirational read that I hope gives its readers some interesting
thoughts to contemplate. The book includes quotations and essays on the
following topics: peace and security, freedom, democracies, prosperity,
gender harmony, racial harmony, spiritual harmony, ecological harmony,
health, and moral purpose and meaning. This is a follow-up to my prior
book,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>How to Achieve a Heaven on Earth</i>, which is a collection of approximately one hundred essays on these same topics.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">In this newest book,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Glimpses of Heaven on Earth</i>,
I invited four essay contributors to my prior book to join me in
collecting inspiriting quotations. Each of the five co-authors—Charlotte
L. Piotrowski, Daniel Agatino, Michael Nagler, Martin Rutte, and
I—wrote brief commentary to follow the quotations in each chapter. I
think the group did a good job of finding quotations on all of these
topics from leaders and thinkers throughout time and across the globe,
which was an exhaustive by interesting project. You will find some
familiar favorites, such as quotes from Mother Theresa and Mahatma
Gandhi, and also some that may be unfamiliar. I can imagine starting off
each day by reading a sampling of quotes from each chapter. After all,
we are all seeking to make some kind of order in the chaos of life, and I
find this book very helpful in that quest.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">Because
of the range of topics, there truly is something of interest for
everyone. I enjoyed reading about net-zero buildings in Martin’s
commentary on ecological harmony. And I think readers will be intrigued
by my predictions of everlasting life in the chapter on health. I want
to note that we did not shy away from today’s hot topics, such as racial
and gender issues, making for a very timely read.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">All
in all, our writing styles are easy to read and the content is easy to
follow, although I had to read Michael’s commentary about peace and
security twice before it really sank in. As the founder for the Metta
Center for Nonviolence, Michael is an expert in this field, and I found
myself wanting to know more about his beliefs and practices. In addition
to other books on the topic of nonviolence, Michael provides all sorts
of other helpful material on his website:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a data-mce-href="http://mettacenter.org/" href="http://mettacenter.org/"><span class="s3">http://mettacenter.org/</span></a>.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span>I also has several comprehensive websites, one that specifically focuses on the topic of heaven on earth:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.heavenonearth.org" href="http://www.heavenonearth.org/"><span class="s3">www.heavenonearth.org</span></a>. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="p3" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="s2">This
book would make an excellent gift for someone experiencing change in
their life, going through difficult times, changing jobs or schools, or
for someone who enjoys being inspired to create a better life for
herself and others. I can imagine giving this book as a graduation or
retirement gift as well. Truly, anyone would benefit from reading this
short, but impactful, book.</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Glimpses-of-Heaven-on-Earth.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Glimpses-of-Heaven-on-Earth.jpg"><img alt="Glimpses of Heaven on Earth" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-42087" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Glimpses-of-Heaven-on-Earth.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Glimpses-of-Heaven-on-Earth.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Editor
and author John E. Wade II has compiled a spiritual guide of invaluable
insight for finding peace and meaning in life while making the world a
better place for all. Along with co-authors Charlotte Livingston
Piotrowski, Daniel Agatino, Michael Nagler, and Martin Rutte, this
collection of enlightening essays and inspirational quotes from renowned
thinkers and leade</span></span>rs throughout history provides the intellectual tools needed to live a more harmonious life.<br />
<br />
Buy <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/GLIMPSES-HEAVEN-EARTH-Quotations-Insightful-ebook/dp/B00LOYGN3O/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1405439205" href="http://www.amazon.com/GLIMPSES-HEAVEN-EARTH-Quotations-Insightful-ebook/dp/B00LOYGN3O/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1405439205" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Inspirational</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – G</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=John%20E.%20Wade%20II&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=John%20E.%20Wade%20II&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Connect</b> with John E. Wade II on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/jwadeii?ref_type=bookmark" href="https://www.facebook.com/jwadeii?ref_type=bookmark" target="_blank">Facebook</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-23703591675740396092014-11-04T09:00:00.000-05:002014-11-19T11:12:24.281-05:00Mike Hartner on Writing as a Chance to Envelop Himself in a Different World @MHartnerAuthor #AmWriting <b>Why Writing is a Form of Personal Therapy</b><br />
<br />
Every
day has stresses. The kid’s not feeling well, the bills need paid,
the doctor’s appointments need taken, yada, yada, yada,… Every life has
its stressors.<br />
<br />
For me, sitting in my office, or on my bed, and pouring out my innermost thoughts onto a Word document is Therapy.<br />
<br />
I
get to concentrate on things that are not my normal life. In the case
of The Eternity Series, I was able to start by concentrating on Walter
Crofter and his life. Walter was the inspiration for I,Walter and would
pour out his life a little at a time so that I could write it down.<br />
<br />
Toward the end, James Crofter jumped up and started to instruct me on his life adventure.<br />
<br />
Both
of these books have been written during late evenings, early mornings,
and quiet times during the day. As a parent, many people know that
quiet times are few and far between. These are the times when the
house is quiet, and when the to-do list can be put off for a few more
hours. These are the quiet times when sitting in the hot tub, or the
recreation room, or the meeting room with the lights off and nobody else
around, can lead to new cha[ters and more research on the life of the
next main character.<br />
<br />
Writing is resting. It’s the
chance to envelop myself in a world where my role is transcription, and
I’m listening to the life and death decisions, rather than making them.
Writing is the therapy that lowers the blood pressure that stimulates
the mind, and brings a smile to the face.<br />
<br />
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IJames.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IJames.jpg"><img alt="IJames" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41780" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IJames.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IJames.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">James Crofter was ripped from his family at age 11. <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />Within a year the prince was a pauper in a foreign land. <br data-mce-style="color: #000000;" />Is nature stronger than nurture? And even if it is, can James find the happiness he so richly desires? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/I-James-Eternity-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00MQHIG0Q/ref=la_B009VJQBEA_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409891856&sr=1-5" href="http://www.amazon.com/I-James-Eternity-Book-2-ebook/dp/B00MQHIG0Q/ref=la_B009VJQBEA_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409891856&sr=1-5" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Historical Fiction, Romance</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Mike-Hartner/e/B009VJQBEA/" href="http://www.amazon.com/Mike-Hartner/e/B009VJQBEA/" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Mike Hartner on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Hartner-Author/368690356556759" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Hartner-Author/368690356556759" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/MHartnerAuthor" href="https://twitter.com/MHartnerAuthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-79080746230948570602014-10-25T09:30:00.000-04:002014-11-11T07:26:56.861-05:00Kirsten Mortensen's #WriteTip on Getting Under Your Characters Skin @KirstenWriter #Romance #Suspense<b>Under Their Skin. When Characters Become Real</b><br />
By Kirsten Mortensen<br />
<br />
I became a novelist so, so slowly!<br />
<br />
It’s
not that I didn’t want to devote myself to fiction. I did. I’ve wanted
to spin stories for peoples’ enjoyment ever since I was about five years
old.<br />
<br />
But when I became an adult, I was deeply confused
about how to go about it. Throughout my 20s and 30s, I started novels
many times. But the process always felt forced. I understand, now, what I
was doing wrong. I was working from my head, not my heart—not my
imagination. But at the time, all I knew was that I felt lost, writing
fiction. And when I read other authors saying things about how their
characters would “come alive” or “take on lives of their own” I thought
they were either telling white lies, or speaking figuratively.<br />
<br />
That changed when someone I respected very much said something to me that, on the surface, was very hard. Cruel, even.<br />
<br />
I
was talking about how much I wished I could make a living as a
novelist, and he looked at me and said: “I don’t believe you. I don’t
believe really want to write a novel.”<br />
<br />
It sounds mean,
doesn’t it? It sounds like he was snatching my most precious dream,
throwing it down onto the pavement and crushing it with his foot.<br />
<br />
But that’s not what he was doing—and I knew it, even as he spoke.<br />
<br />
He
was challenging me to follow through on my so-called dream. He was
challenging me to do more than just start a novel—he was challenging me
to finish one.<br />
<br />
So I did.<br />
<br />
I’ve long since thrown that manuscript away—it was a typical first novel, so full of mistakes that newbie writers make!<br />
<br />
But even though it wasn’t publishable, it served its purpose. It gave me the experience of practicing writing novels.<br />
<br />
And the more I practice, the better I get.<br />
<br />
And then, during novel #3, it happened.<br />
<br />
My characters came alive.<br />
<br />
Because it’s true. It really happens.<br />
<br />
They
begin to assert themselves. They do things you don’t expect. They stop
you from forcing them into decisions that don’t suit them.<br />
<br />
When
I wrote that first novel, my characters were like puppets. I fashioned
them, using words. I gave them physical characteristics. I picked out
their clothes. I came up with plot twists and wrote how my characters
reacted to them.<br />
<br />
Today, when I write, my characters are
no longer puppets. They’re more like entities you meet in
dreams—demigods of my imagination. They awe me, they surprise me. I’m no
longer their master—I’m more an observer, doing my best to transcribe
what they see, think, feel, and do.<br />
<br />
I’d be the last person to call myself a “great” writer. Ha. In my dreams.<br />
<br />
But
I do think that in my latest novel, Dark Chemistry, is the best I’ve
written so far—and one major reason for that is that as I wrote it, my
characters came alive. And judging on how readers are reacting to the
novel, the characters seem alive to them!<br />
<br />
If you’re a writer, have you noticed this happening while you write?<br />
<br />
As a reader, do you notice when characters in novels seem real to you?<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/darkChemistry.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/darkChemistry.jpg"><img alt="darkChemistry" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41412" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/darkChemistry.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/darkChemistry.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<h1>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A woman's worst nightmare</span></span></h1>
<h2 data-mce-style="color: #cc6600;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Drugged by something...that makes her think she's fallen in love.</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All Haley Dubose has ever known is beaches and malls, clubs and cocktail dresses.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>But now her father is dead.</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And if she wants to inherit her father's fortune, she has to leave sunny Southern California<br />for a backwater little town near Syracuse, New York. She has to run RMB, the multimillion dollar<br />chemical company her father founded. And she has to run it well.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Keep
RMB on track, and she'll be rich. Grow it, and she'll be even richer.
But mess it up, and her inheritance will shrink away before she gets a
chance to spend a dime.</span></span><br />
<h2 data-mce-style="color: #cc6600;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Donavon Todde is her true love. But is it too late?</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He's RMB's head of sales – and the more Donavon sees of Haley, the more he's smitten.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sure,
she comes across at first as naïve and superficial. But Donavon knew
Haley's father. He can see the man's better qualities stirring to life
in her eyes. And Donavon senses something else: Haley's father left her a
legacy more important than money. He left her the chance to discover
her true self.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Donavon has demons of his own.</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b><br />He's
reeling from a heartbreak that's taking far too long to heal. But he's
captivated by this blond Californian, and not only because of her
beauty.<i> It's chemistry.</i> They're right for each other. But has
Donavon waited too long to woo this woman of his dreams? Because to his
horror, his beautiful Haley falls under another spell.<i> Gerad's spell.</i></span></span><br />
<h2 data-mce-style="color: #cc6600;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A web of evil.</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Gerad
Picket was second-in-command at RMB when Haley's father was alive. And
with Haley on the scene, he's in charge of her training. But there are
things about RMB that Gerad doesn't want Haley to know.</span></span><br />
<h2 data-mce-style="color: #cc6600;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And he must control her. Any way he can.</span></span></h2>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Romantic suspense for your Kindle</span></span></h1>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Will Haley realize that her feelings are not her TRUE feelings?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Does Donavon have the strength left to fight for the woman he loves?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Will the two of them uncover Gerad's plot to use RMB pheromones to enslave the world?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And even if they do – can they stop it?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Chemistry-Kirsten-Mortensen-ebook/dp/B00KEYP3QI/" href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Chemistry-Kirsten-Mortensen-ebook/dp/B00KEYP3QI/" target="_blank">Amazon</a> &<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/422146" href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/422146" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Romantic suspense</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Kirsten-Mortensen/e/B001JP7X50/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Kirsten-Mortensen/e/B001JP7X50/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Kirsten Mortensen through<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kirsten-Mortensen-Writer/195344590544496?ref=hl" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kirsten-Mortensen-Writer/195344590544496?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>& <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/Kirstenwriter" href="https://twitter.com/Kirstenwriter" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://kirstenmortensen.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29OlqrTvuWJGs0Xbb3RDK_7VviC8A" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://kirstenmortensen.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29OlqrTvuWJGs0Xbb3RDK_7VviC8A" target="_blank">http://kirstenmortensen.com/</a></b></span></span></div>
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Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-7340801666635797322014-10-16T13:00:00.000-04:002014-12-04T09:15:12.407-05:00What Freedom Smells Like : A #Memoir by Amy Lewis @AmyLewisAuthor #AmReading #Memoir #Relationships<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Why did I stay? I used to yell to the women on Oprah,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Why would you stay?<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>I
had options. I had a family who loved me, who would take care of me if I
left. I wasn’t married to him nor did we have children together. The
only tie we had was the business, and on paper we owned it fifty/fifty.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Why put up with this? What is wrong with you?</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
don’t have a good answer. Not a logical one, only emotional answers.
When I fell in love with him, I fell too far to get out on my own. Maybe
this was the “has difficulty functioning in a way society accepts as
normal” part of my borderline personality. I saw the abusive Truth as an
imposter, and the real Truth, the one I loved, was locked somewhere
inside. If I tried hard enough, loved deeply enough, I could find him. I
might even say – rescue him. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As my self-esteem began to shatter, it
became impossible to put me back together, and shattered young women do
not make the best rescuers. When Truth exploded, along with the hitting,
he threatened me with much worse actions if I didn’t stay in line.
“I’ll kill you; I’ll kill your entire family.” The threats felt even
more painful than when he laid hands on me; eventually the physical
abuse came only in spurts – maybe once or twice one month then no flair
ups for a few months. He had learned how to control me without it – just
a look would be enough.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">During
the abuse, I split myself into many different parts. Time stretched and
molded to fit my needs. The tiniest expression of love or moment of joy
– a good night – expanded like a rubber band into a whole month. The
moments of greatest fear and terror collapsed into a blink of the eye. I
became author of my own fictional tale. I used my imagination to create
a portrait of a livable life. If you keep your eyes closed and your
mouth shut, you can exist forever in that state. If you saw me on the
street and asked how I was doing. I would smile and say fine.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>I’m doing just fine.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>If you weren’t really paying attention, you would believe me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sometimes
during our worst fights, everything seemed to happen in slow motion,
and an orchestral score played in the background. The strings increased
in intensity as I retreated away from him, the beating of the
percussions as he followed me, the flutes as I tried to calm him, as his
hands met my body, the crescendo hit with symbols clapping together at
the finale of a symphony. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I heard the music we listened to in my dreams
as two cultured, mature adults in love and enjoying the arts. As I
reached up to my face or back or stomach or chest to feel the damage, I
heard the audience applauding, jumping to their feet with a standing
ovation. Bravo! Bravo! Tears started to pour out of me, and the rest of
the audience, inspired by the music. The show had ended, and as the
sophisticated, art-appreciating couples walked to their cars to begin
talking about how the music reminded them of this or that, Truth came to
me and apologized. He didn’t mean for it to go this far. His most
vulnerable expressions to me came directly after his explosions. How
everything felt wrong. How he shouldn’t let stress do this to him. How
it would never happen again.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/whatFreedomSmellsLike.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/whatFreedomSmellsLike.jpg"><img alt="whatFreedomSmellsLike" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41176" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/whatFreedomSmellsLike.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/whatFreedomSmellsLike.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Diagnosed
with Borderline Personality disorder, Amy struggled with depression and
an addiction to sharp objects. Even hospitalization didn't help to heal
her destructive tendencies. It took a tumultuous relationship with a
man named Truth to bring her back from the depths of her own self-made
hell.Amy's marriage to dark, intriguing Truth was both passionate and
stormy. She was a fair-skinned southern girl from New Orleans. He was a
charming black man with tribal tattoos, piercings, and a mysterious
past. They made an unlikely pair, but something clicked. During their
early marriage, they pulled themselves out of abject poverty into wealth
and financial security practically overnight. Then things began to fall
apart.</span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Passionate
and protective, Truth also proved violent and abusive. Amy’s own
self-destructive tendencies created a powerful symmetry. His sudden
death left Amy with an intense and warring set of emotions: grief for
the loss of the man she loved, relief she was no longer a target for his
aggression.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Conflicted
and grieving, Amy found herself at a spiritual and emotional
crossroads, only to receive help from an unlikely source: Truth himself.
Feeling his otherworldly presence in her dreams, Amy seeks help from a
famous medium.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her
spiritual encounters change Amy forever. Through Truth, she learns her
soul is eternal and indestructible, a knowledge that gives Amy the
courage to pursue her own dreams and transform herself both physically
and emotionally. Her supernatural encounters help Amy resolve the
internal anger and self-destructive tendencies standing between her and
happiness, culminating in a sense of spiritual fulfillment she never
dreamed possible.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">An amazing true story, What Freedom Smells Like is told with courage, honesty, and a devilishly dark sense of humor.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Freedom-Smells-Like-Memoir-ebook/dp/B00JTHDCSC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" href="http://www.amazon.com/What-Freedom-Smells-Like-Memoir-ebook/dp/B00JTHDCSC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Memoir</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Lewis/e/B00KERPYYQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Amy-Lewis/e/B00KERPYYQ/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Amy Lewis through <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/AmyLewisAuthor" href="https://twitter.com/AmyLewisAuthor" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000; text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.WhatFreedomSmellsLike.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-u-DEq6B2o3ZSLOwj9JWZOYB9gHA" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.WhatFreedomSmellsLike.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-u-DEq6B2o3ZSLOwj9JWZOYB9gHA" target="_blank">www.WhatFreedomSmellsLike.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-85085969541174490242014-10-15T10:30:00.000-04:002014-10-29T09:33:01.729-04:00Kimberly Shursen on Every Writer's Nightmare of Being Stuck @KimberlyShursen #WriteTip #AmWriting #Thriller <div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Help! I’m Stuck in the Middle and I Can’t Get Out</b></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">By Kimberly Shursen</span></span></i><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">, </span>Author of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Itsy Bitsy Spider</i>,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Hush,</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Lottery</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ever
get to the middle of writing your book and didn’t have a clue what to
do next? You’ve set up the story; you’ve described the characters, the
scenery, the wallpaper in the kitchen, and now what? You’re excited to
write that unbelievable ending you already have conjured in your head,
but how in the world are you going to get there?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Answer: resolve the issue<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>before</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>you start staring at those intimidating blank pages on the screen.</span></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Have a secondary plot. By this I don’t mean a separate plot, but one that weaves nicely into your story. Using my novel<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>HUSH</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>as
an example, there is Ann and Ben’s life, and then there’s Ann’s lawyer
Mac McConaughey’s story. The plot remains focused on the main
characters, however, Mac and his wife Jazz’s life is a secondary
heart-warming storyline readers can identify with.</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></li>
</ol>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When you’re stuck, think of the
most pivotal moments of your life; the birth of a child, a challenging
life hurdle you’ve finally succeeded in overcoming, or the feeling of
finally letting go and falling in love. Bring these pivotal moments to
life in your characters. Set the platform in the first few chapters of
your book and you will have a beginning, a middle, and an end that,
although cliché, will wrap up into one sweet little package. Never write
a chapter that doesn’t have substance or doesn’t move the story
forward. Each single word, sentence, and chapter needs to have meaning;
so no cheating filling in with drawn out dissertations of the scenery.</span></span></li>
</ol>
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<li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I never place my novels in one
city as it’s just too much fun to travel via the net. It is important
that my characters and the places they live or travel not become
redundant. In<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>HUSH</i>,
there are three cities I visited in cyberspace. How do I do this? Just
as a couple of examples, I use images, descriptions of buildings and
restaurants, and neighborhood overviews found in personal travel
documentations, along with studying the official websites of the city. I
do a ton of research so that if anyone who lives in these cities or
neighborhoods happens to read my book, they would think I’d been there
not just once, but several times. The bulk of<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>HUSH<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>was
set in Minneapolis, and even though I lived in Minneapolis for many
years, I still had to check out the facts. How many miles around is Lake
Minnetonka where Mac’s wife Jazz lived? How far was it from Dinky Town
where Ann lived to the courthouse? Where are the prestigious
neighborhoods in Minneapolis? Which suburbs are the poorest? Mileage
from one place to the next takes me to Mapquest.</span></span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When I took<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>HUSH</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>to
Lake Geneva, Switzerland was when I really had to dig deep into the
bowels of the net, close my eyes and envision not only the Jet d'Eau
that surges 459 feet above the lake, but the Swiss Alps, and the
peaceful inlet of water that borders this quaint, wealthy city.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don’t
be afraid to reach the middle; embrace it. If you’ve done your
homework, and set up your storylines, there will be nothing to fear when
you proudly present your baby to the public.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hush.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hush.jpg"><img alt="hush" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-41080" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hush.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/hush.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Soon
after Ann Ferguson and Ben Grable marry, and Ben unseals his adoption
papers, their perfect life together is torn apart, sending the couple to
opposite sides of the courtroom.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Representing
Ann, lawyer Michael J. McConaughey (Mac) feels this is the case that
could have far-reaching, judicial effects -- the one he's been waiting
for.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Opposing counsel knows this high profile case happens just once in a lifetime.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />And
when the silent protest known as HUSH sweeps the nation, making
international news, the CEO of one of the top ten pharmaceutical
companies in the world plots to derail the trial that could cost his
company billions.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />Critically
acclaimed literary thriller HUSH not only questions one of the most
controversial laws that has divided the nation for over four decades,
but captures a story of the far-reaching ties of family that surpasses
time and distance.</span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS">
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<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>***
Hush does not have political or religious content. The story is built
around the emotions and thoughts of two people who differ in their
beliefs.</b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b> </b></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">EDITORIAL
REVIEW: "Suspenseful and well-researched, this action-packed legal
thriller will take readers on a journey through the trials and
tribulations of one of the most controversial subjects in society
today."<span style="font-family: inherit;"> - </span>Katie French author of "The Breeders," "The Believer's," and "Eyes Ever To The Sky."</span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Hush-Kimberly-Shursen-ebook/dp/B00HZKBGW4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1404820465&sr=1-1&keywords=hush+and+kimberly+shursen" href="http://www.amazon.com/Hush-Kimberly-Shursen-ebook/dp/B00HZKBGW4/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1404820465&sr=1-1&keywords=hush+and+kimberly+shursen" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Thriller</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Shursen/e/B00C7ZBTIS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/Kimberly-Shursen/e/B00C7ZBTIS/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Kimberly Shursen through <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberly-Shursen-Author/286879094678995" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kimberly-Shursen-Author/286879094678995" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/kimberlyShursen" href="https://twitter.com/kimberlyShursen" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" data-mce-href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.kimberlyshursen.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-uex70LjIEkr9CbwWbuB4zDHIOKw" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.kimberlyshursen.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-uex70LjIEkr9CbwWbuB4zDHIOKw" target="_blank">http://www.kimberlyshursen.com/</a></b></span></span></div>
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Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-40946549163567695172014-10-15T08:00:00.000-04:002014-10-16T09:58:38.390-04:00@GaryTroia Shares 10 Tips for Becoming a Better Writer #SelfPub #ShortStories #WriteTip<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1,
The first tip is essential and obvious. If you want to be a decent
writer: Read a lot and write a lot. If you want to be an athlete: Eat
well and train hard.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">2, Read excellent writers and classics. See how they go about the craft.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">3, Read poor writers for no other reason than to feel better about yourself.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">4, If you want to excel at anything, discipline is the key. Set achievable goals that can be reached every day.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">5,
There is no such thing as writers’ block. If you think you have it,
write about your day. I have never heard of bricklayer’s block, or
surgeon’s block, or…you get the point, don’t you?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">6, Don’t force yourself to learn new words, you learn new words naturally by reading.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">7, Don’t try to write like you think a writer should write, just write like only you know how to write.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">8, Write quicker than your doubts can form.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">9, Write a first draft with freedom and without a critical eye. Add a critical eye on all subsequent drafts.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">10, The last tip is as important as the first. If you want to be a decent writer: Read a lot and write a lot.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Gary-Troia.jpg" /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">For
the first time ever, this collection of short stories by Gary Troia
brings together, in chronological order stories and memoirs from Spanish
Yarns and Beyond, English Yarns and Beyond and A Bricklayer’s Tales
into one complete volume.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>“Excellent!</b> A
collection of short stories about depression, alcoholism and drug use.
Very compelling reading. I read this short story collection all in one
go.” (Maria, Goodreads.)</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>A Bricklayer’s Tales</i> is
the ultimate “I hate this job” story, written as a collection of short
stories and memoirs, each one revealing a snapshot in the life of Ray.
Troia captures the tedium of working in a low paid, menial job and
living hand to mouth. This book of short stories is sad and questions
the reader to ask questions about their own life. This book achieves
clarity without trying.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Ray
has three expensive hobbies: drinking, drugs, and running away. Without
the income that Bricklaying provides, he would not be able to maintain
his chosen lifestyle, so he compromises his principles and continues
with his trade.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A collection of short stories and memoirs that include:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Cuckoo’s Egg.</b> Boyhood antics lead to tragedy.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My Grandfather’s Shed.</b> The making of an English key</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>No Comb on the Cock.</b> Gypsies, champion fighting cocks, and career choices.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>What I Did In My Summer Holidays In 1000 Words.</b> Could having an idea ever be considered a criminal act?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>My Best Mate’s Head.</b> Did a weekend of boozing save Ray from certain death?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Shetland Isles.</b> A trip to sunny Benidorm, a chance meeting with some Glaswegians, and a cold, miserable job in Lerwick.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Pointing a House in Islington.</b> Too much alcohol and cocaine don’t mix well on building sites!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Angel Dust. T</b>he peculiar story of a man whose new life in America leads to conversations with Ancient Greek philosophers</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Peyote.</b> Hippies, LSD and an idyllic refuge</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Return Ticket.</b> Handcuffed and ready for deportation. A sad departure from the States</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>When I Joined a Cult.</b> Sober dating as Ray discovers religion.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Bilbao</b>. How very, very English!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Teaching Other People.</b> The grass is always greener-the escape from bricklaying.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>A Week in the Life of Ray Dennis.</b> With the prospect of no money for food or alcohol this Christmas, Ray has to find work quickly.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Catania. </b>A meeting with a Sicilian fox, some Neapolitans, and a man with a camel haired coat.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Advert In The Art Shop Window. </b>Will a new building job in Spain be the start of a new life?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Gaudi. </b>A flight to Barcelona for a kebab, and a look at the <i>Sagrada Familia.</i></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Day My Soul Left Me. </b>“To be or not to be? That is the question”</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>How Not to Travel to The Alhambra<i>. </i></b>Hung-over, the wrong fuel, the car breaks down. Will they ever make it to Granada?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Road To Ronda. </b>A terrifying drive to Ronda, was it worth it?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Poking A Carob Tree</b>. A new home and new neighbours, just in time for Christmas.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Spain Reborn</b>.No more commuting to London. Lets celebrate!</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Home From Home</b><i>. </i>A parallel world where the Spanish have taken over Weymouth.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Three Common Carp</b>.An epic battle with a whale and marlin it is not.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Mrs. McClintock.</b> An absurd farce in which a Glaswegian couple retire to Spain</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Steak, Egg and Intensive Care. </b>A harmless dinner leads to hospitalisation.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Unchangeable Chameleon. </b>Can a leopard change it’s spots?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>A Bricklayer’s Tale. </b>The story of a disillusioned, alcoholic bricklayer</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;">A collection short stories and memoirs of British dark humour.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div id="psGradient">
<span style="font-size: small;"> <span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Buy Now @ </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Short-Stories-Gary-Troia-ebook/dp/B00IR1F9MI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1397639934&sr=1-1&keywords=short+stories%2CB00IR1F9MI" style="line-height: 1.5em; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></div>
</div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i> Genre - Fiction, Short Stories</i></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>Rating - PG-16</i></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Gary-Troia/e/B00DXJC2OW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Open Sans'; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>Connect</b> with Gary Troia on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/garytroia1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/GaryTroia" style="text-decoration: none;">Twitter</a></span></div>
<br />Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-21989933725288598862014-10-10T09:30:00.000-04:002014-10-14T07:24:29.071-04:00@MarcADiGiacomo on What Inspired "IN A SMALL TOWN" #Thriller #GoodReads #AmReading<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What inspired me to write In A Small Town?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
always believed I had a book somewhere within my warped brain. Its one
thing to have that feeling about yourself but to actually write that
book is a story within itself. How do you motivate one’s self to follow
through on a conceptualized idea? For me, I have three small children.
Only my oldest will remember the late night/early morning calls from the
police department notifying me of the latest crime to occur within our
boundaries. He would watch his father leave with bright, wide opened
eyes fully believing I would return as soon as I could. Truth be told;
it was very difficult to leave him, but I had a job to do, a
responsibility to others I was sworn to uphold.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When
I retired from the police department after a string of back injuries
and surgery, I needed to set a new course for myself. My back injury
makes it difficult for me sometimes but it was just another challenge I
needed to overcome. What started off as a memoir of a small town cop’s
career quickly grew legs and became an organized crime thriller. I had a
very unique police career working for such a small town; I wanted to
emphasize to others even though I worked for a small town, big crime
still happens and needs to be solved.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
encouragement I received from my oldest son was all I needed. His face
upon seeing In A Small Town, was a priceless memory I will never forget.
He’s only eleven, and will not be reading any of my books for quite
some time, but his praise and reassurances have motivated me to write
more. So, I write for my kids, and one day, when they read my books,
they will know a little piece of their father is alive and well within
those pages.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/InASmallTown.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/InASmallTown.jpg"><img alt="InASmallTown" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-40186" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/InASmallTown.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/InASmallTown.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
shotgun blast catches Detective Matthew Longo by surprise. His world
unravels into a nightmare that seemingly won't end. Murder, rapes,
pedophiles, the small town of Hutchville, N.Y. is changing. It is up to
him to make a difference.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While
partner Donny Mello is in Italy attending a funeral for a family member
who is connected, to say the least, a beautiful F.B.I. agent waits to
question him about his family business. Can Matt keep from answering the
Agent’s questions? More importantly, can he hide a potentially
career-ending secret from his community, his brother, and most
especially Agent Cynthia Shyler?</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009R9XDWW" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009R9XDWW" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Thriller</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – R</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Marc-A.-Digiacomo/e/B009L8F01G" href="http://www.amazon.com/Marc-A.-Digiacomo/e/B009L8F01G" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Marc A. DiGiacomo on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/MarcADiGiacomo" href="https://www.facebook.com/MarcADiGiacomo" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/MarcADiGiacomo" href="https://twitter.com/MarcADiGiacomo" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/backintown.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/backintown.jpg"><img alt="backintown" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-42265" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/backintown.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/backintown.jpg" height="200" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
small town of Hutchville, New York is turned upside down. No longer is
it the quaint, sleepy, suburb of New York City. Detective Matt Longo is
back on the job and embroiled in his latest nightmare. Further
complicating matters is the revelation of his partner’s corruption and
organized crime ties; Donny Mello has left a bitter trail of lies and
deceit. With his kid brother and newly promoted Detective Franny Longo
by his side, will Matt be able to put his past behind him?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Special
Agent Cynthia Shyler, (F.B.I.) has been reassigned due to her meeting
with Matt Longo. Will this move complicate their relationship? Or will a
new stranger in town spin a web that entangles the entire Hutchville
Police Department, especially our most seasoned detective, Matt Longo?</span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Back-Town-Small-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00KWE2PK2/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=18M6XPX181RWK0SA250N" href="http://www.amazon.com/Back-Town-Small-Series-Book-ebook/dp/B00KWE2PK2/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=18M6XPX181RWK0SA250N">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Thriller</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – R</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Marc%20A.%20DiGiacomo&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Marc%20A.%20DiGiacomo&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="font-weight: bold ! important;">Connect</b> with Marc A. DiGiacomo on <a data-mce-href="https://facebook.com/MarcADiGiacomo" href="https://facebook.com/MarcADiGiacomo">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/MarcADiGiacomo" href="https://twitter.com/MarcADiGiacomo" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-92166660897665669372014-10-01T11:30:00.000-04:002014-10-01T12:39:40.104-04:00@Marie_McKean Shares Her Thoughts on Creating a Stand Out #BookCover - #AmWriting #Paranormal <div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A
simple google search on the importance of a good book cover will tell
you that an excellent cover is as important as a fantastic story and a
great edit. That’s how you attract readers. If your cover is bad,
someone who might otherwise LOVE your story just might pass it up.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Think
about it. How often do you choose a book solely on its cover? I’d
venture to guess quite a bit. Now, times that by the millions of people
who are browsing amazon everyday . . . and you have a lot of potential
readers. Here’s the kicker, not only does your cover have to look great,
but it also has to be exceptional in thumbnail size. Because the truth
of the matter is, that’s the way most of your target audience is going
to get their first acquaintance with your book. </span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So, what can you do to make yourself stand out from the rest of the masses?</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Create a stand-out cover!</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now,
I am in no way an expert on how to do this. I write stories and that is
about as far as my artistic ability reaches. However, I happen to be
great at rationalizing what expenditures are worth it and which ones are
not. Book covers and edits are worth every penny. Seriously, Every.
Penny. Sure, you could make your own cover. But unless you are gifted
that way, well I don’t think I’d recommend it.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What
I did was find a graphic designer. I found mine randomly, one thing
lead to another, and there I was, just happening to be browsing through
his deviantArt page. One look at his work, and it was love at first
sight. This is what I recommend to do. Find a graphic artist whose work
you just love, and then reach out to them. After all, if you don’t love
their work, what makes you think that you’re going to love your cover?
Next, make sure you can work with them. Do they catch your vision? Are
you catching theirs? And most importantly, Can you meet in the middle?
If you can, then proceed.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When
all’s said and done that cover is going to be what helps make or break
you, so make sure you put the time, and money, into making sure its done
right. You’ll know if it is or not, your numbers will be proof of it.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Born-of-Oak-and-Silver.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">YOU CANNOT CHANGE THE LIFE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All
that you can do is make the most of what you’ve been dealt—fight a good
fight, resist being beaten by circumstance, and hope that somehow,
despite it all, you’re able to accomplish the impossible.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But even then you cannot change the fact that you were born cursed.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am one of those unlucky few upon whom the Curse of the Four Fathers has fallen.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It
is I who must bear the burden of having a life that is unchangeably
intertwined with the Fae. A sorrow made all the more great by knowing
that where they are tragedy, loss, misery, and despair most assuredly
follow.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As
a Druid it is my responsibility to uphold the boundaries that keep the
worlds of the Tylwyth Teg, and our own, separate. As a man it is my only
ambition to protect the family and woman I so desperately love.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The only problem: I’m not sure this curse will allow for me to do both.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Born-Oak-Silver-Caradoc-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00FKEGUBY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391534398&sr=8-1&keywords=born+of+oak&tag=booaremag-20" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Paranormal Fantasy, Horror</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Marie-McKean/e/B00FKV51X0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Connect</b> with Marie McKean on <a href="https://twitter.com/marie_mckean" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a href="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mariemckean.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2_TrLNmreszujdvzRwsFGN5NqbRdQ" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">https://www.mariemckean.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-58164480252280582452014-10-01T10:30:00.000-04:002014-10-01T10:30:01.647-04:00TWELVE HOUSES #Excerpt by Olga Soaje #AmReading #WomensFic #Literary<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once
we’re outside, Chloe asks me if I’d like to go for a walk along the
wharf. She seems to be seeing me in a new light, kind of the way she
used to see toys she had forgotten when they were suddenly discovered by
her brother or a friend. The newfound joy and thrill were always the
same for her.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Whatever
her reasons for inviting me here to visit her, or for the walk, I can’t
help feel grateful and think that Nathan is somehow doing magic from up
there. As we walk along the pier, the fresh salt air is calming to my
soul. I have the feeling she’s gathering her courage for something, so I
look at her and ask, “Chloe, would you like to talk about something?”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“What makes you say that?”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Because I know you, and I can see you’re upset about something.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m
thinking she’s scared of motherhood and the changes ahead, on top of
all the changes I’ve seen so far. Maybe she needs to ask me about the
astrological chart I gave her. But instead she takes a deep, purposeful,
salt-tinged breath. “Mom, did you ever contemplate a separation?”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Separation?”
I repeat, trying to gather my thoughts—or form a response, for that
matter. She stops walking and looks at me, daring me with her eyes. Her
shoulders drop, signaling she has relaxed, since part of her secret is
out. I almost can hear Magda spell out, “Uranus just walked in,”
referring to the planet that represents sudden and unexpected changes.
Ruler of originality and freedom.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Our
marriage wasn’t perfect, Chloe. It had its ups and downs, like many
marriages do.” She looks irritated as I walk to a bench and signal for
her to join me. I can sense this isn’t the answer she was looking for,
nor for that matter, is what I’m about to say next. “But to answer your
question, no, I never considered it. We had an unspoken understanding
that we could fight, but we’d always find a loving way to understand
each other after the fireworks of anger had left.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She looks disappointed. “I just wish Brian understood me.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I take her fingers, which are resting on her leg, and give them a squeeze as I ask, “How long have you felt like this?”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She
looks at the sea in front of her and begins to whisper, as if talking
to the wind. “For some time now, I’ve had the feeling that he’s rushing
through life, from the office to the house, and everything in between is
a task on his to-do list, and that includes me.” I stroke her hand
gently to show my support while she continues to talk. “I tried not to
focus on it, to find things to do together, even to get the house to
seem more comfortable. But he remained the same, and I…I’m not.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Honey,
when you two got married three years ago, you both seemed like that.
Very serious about life, yourselves, and very career driven.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A
tear slowly glides down her cheek, and I want to reach out and wipe it,
but I contain myself and only look at the ocean as I speak. “I can see
how changed you are,” I say. “This must be daunting and challenging for
your husband, as you’re changing before his eyes and he probably has no
clue to what to do.” Then I make myself say what I might regret, but I
have to know. “What opened you up? Is there someone else?”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
question is out. When she looks at me, her eyes show a tiny bit of
guilt, and she remains silent. So I say, “Honey, I know I’m not your
first option for talking, but I’m here and I love you.” I feel joy at
having the opportunity to say what so many times I couldn’t, but her
reaction startles me. She throws herself at me, rests her head on my
shoulder, and cries openly.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I…I…”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
make her stop talking as I stroke her hair and say, “It’s OK, it’s OK.
Whatever it is, it’ll be OK.” My heart is racing, and I’m thinking the
unthinkable. <i>My daughter, my pregnant daughter, might be having an affair.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/twelveHouses.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Can anything good follow the best thing that ever happened to you?</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amelia
Weiss loved her husband of thirty-five years very much, but now he’s
left her a widow. Without him, she is unable to work in her sculpture
studio without crying. She no longer has a bridge to her estranged
daughter. And she can’t seem to keep her mind in the present.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But
when her daughter reaches out asking for her help and her agent
threatens a lawsuit if Amelia doesn’t deliver for an upcoming exhibit,
she’s forced to make a choice. Will she reengage with her life and the
people in it—allowing room for things to be different than they were
before? Or, will she remain stuck in the past, choosing her memories
over real-life relationships?</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thrust fully into the present, Amelia stumbles into a surprising journey of self-discovery.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Twelve-Houses-Olga-Soaje-ebook/dp/B00HALNOXC/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1389132515&sr=8-4&keywords=twelve+houses" style="text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Olga%20Soaje&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Olga Soaje on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Olga-Soaje/275855065861387?fref=ts" style="text-decoration: none;">Facebook</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-18241780234852015662014-10-01T08:30:00.000-04:002014-10-13T12:45:38.081-04:00Craig Staufenberg on Two Realities About Publishing @YouMakeArtDumb #AmWriting #SelfPub #WriteTip<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pet Peeves of the Publishing Industry</b></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m
annoyed by how nice everyone in the publishing is. Really. I’m sure
there are some rude people, but I haven’t encountered them. Only nice
folks, and that makes it hard to dislike the publishing industry as a
whole. It’s much easier when you see “publishing” as this monolithic
beast with a stranglehold on creativity, especially your own creativity.
But that’s just not the case.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Which means there are two realities you have to face about publishing.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One,
that it’s not out to get you. It’s not prejudiced against you. If it
rejects you there are reasons for doing so, and not because the people
are mean, jealous and spiteful.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Two,
the publishing industry is trying to do something very, very difficult.
Namely promote art, entertainment, and creativity, all while still
keeping the lights on. Anyone who has tried to support themselves via
their creative output knows how difficult this is. Now multiply that
difficulty—think about trying to support an entire company, or even an
entire industry, on creative work. It’s insanity, and I’m surprised
publishing companies have been as successful as they have.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Really,
think about it for a second. We’re not talking about selling widgets
here. We aren’t talking about the success of an industry that sells
bathroom cleaner. There’s nothing predictable about books. As long as
the bathroom cleaner works, and as long as you market it, then you’re
going to do alright. The same can’t be said about books. Even if a book
is good, and even if you market it, there’s no guarantee it’s going to
sell enough to warrant its investment. Now consider the fact bathroom
cleaner companies don’t have to reinvent their product hundreds of times
a year, and publishing companies do, and you see it’s sheer madness
this whole industry works at all.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">OK,
it’s not a perfect analogy. The way publishing company’s sell their
back catalogue and the works of established authors operates a lot like
selling widgets. Pretty reliable. But still, publishing is trying to do
something very challenging—balancing the demands of art and commerce,
which have, as Linds Redding noted in his must-read post, always been
strange bedfellows. Especially since publishing companies need <i>hits</i> to
thrive and not merely survive, and these companies are completely
unable to predict what the next hit is going to be. No one predicted
Twilight. No one predicted Fifty Shades of Grey. Or Harry Potter.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
fact, when it comes to the book trade, the only people who have an even
harder time than publishing companies are the authors themselves. While
publishing companies are able to spread their bets across a large
number of different books a year, even an ultra-prolific author isn’t
going to crank out more than a few. The odds a publishing company will
hit a home run on any given year is much higher than the odds a single
author will.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Which,
I suppose, is my biggest pet peeve of the publishing companies. They
survive, while many, if not most, of their authors who fail. An author
can spend their whole life writing books that don’t do spectacularly
well, and that author could easily live a lower compensated, less
comfortable, and less protected life than the employees and owners
running the publishing companies. Publishers take on much smaller risks
than authors. Publishers make small financial gambles, while authors bet
their lives. Yet publishers have much higher upside than authors.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bear
in mind, this is an institutional issue. No evil genius thought this
up. It’s how pretty much every large creative industry operates—from
books to movies to music. But we’re not powerless here. And I’d like to
see a publishing industry where the authors themselves are better
rewarded, or at least better protected, than the companies that publish
them, as the authors, always, are putting much more on the line.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/The-Girl-Who-Came-Back-to-Life.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When
you die, your spirit wakes in the north, in the City of the Dead.
There, you wander the cold until one of your living loved ones finds
you, says “Goodbye,” and Sends you to the next world. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After her parents die, 12-year-old
Sophie refuses to release their spirits. Instead, she resolves to travel
to the City of the Dead to bring her mother and father’s spirits back
home with her. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Taking the long pilgrimage north
with her gruff & distant grandmother—by train, by foot, by boat;
over ruined mountains and plains and oceans—Sophie struggles to return
what death stole from her. Yet the journey offers her many hard,
unexpected lessons—what to hold on to, when to let go, and who she must
truly bring back to life.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Girl-Who-Came-Back-Life-ebook/dp/B00JQRR0JM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402517344&sr=8-1&keywords=craig+staufenberg" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Middle Grade</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Craig-Staufenberg/e/B00J4CHMX8/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Craig Staufenberg through <a href="https://www.facebook.com/YouMakeArtDumb?ref=hl" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/YouMakeArtDumb" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://craigstaufenberg.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-DrQ3iDj9YlxIz66ffrjCdBEDC8Q" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://craigstaufenberg.com/</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-22233038220409473692014-09-17T07:00:00.000-04:002014-10-23T10:23:28.601-04:00Amanda Lee on Coping With Deadlines & Pressure @GayleTrent #AmWriting #AmReading #Mystery<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It
sounds contradictory, but the best way to handle pressure is to relax.
I’ve been reading articles and books on how you can be more creative
when you’re in a relaxed state. When you’re overwhelmed, you have a
tendency to freeze up and become unproductive.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If
you’re stressing over writing deadlines, the best—albeit hardest—thing
to do is to lie down, consciously relax your muscles, and tell yourself
to relax. If you’re unable to relax in this way, hit the gym. A workout
on the treadmill or the elliptical trainer will get your heart pumping
and flood your system with endorphins.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Some
writers claim that their best ideas hit them when they’re washing
dishes, taking a shower, walking, or driving. This is because even
though you aren’t consciously thinking about your book and your writing
at that moment, your subconscious is still working on those plot points
that you were trying to figure out during your last writing session.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Many
writers—especially when deadlines are looming—stick to a strict daily
minimum word count. I asked one such writer how she dealt with writers’
block. She said she doesn’t have it that often, but that when she does,
she simply writes through it. “Even if it’s total garbage, I write <i>anything</i> in
order to keep my writing flowing,” she said. “I know I can always come
back and fix it when I get my story going back in the right direction.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Another
writer cautioned me against editing as I write. As a perfectionist, I
find it difficult not to get my facts straight as I’m writing. For
example, the new Fontaine book is set in Las Vegas. I couldn’t write the
first draft saying to myself that I’d go back and fill in the details
later. For me personally, I <i>have</i> to have the descriptions and
facts in place as I write. I have come to realize, however, that the
books don’t have to be written in a linear form. If I’m writing a
relaxed restaurant scene and something dramatic is supposed to happen
next, I can insert [ARGUMENT WITH COWORKER] or whatever scene that might
be upcoming and then write something else if I’m not ready to write the
heavier scene.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">However
you choose to do it, relaxation is key when writing under pressure: hug
your dog, take a walk, watch cute animal videos, workout, take a nap….
And remember, in a true emergency, you can always request an extension
for your writing deadline.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/threadEnd.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Embroidery shop owner Marcy Singer is about to have the rug pulled out from under her….</i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marcy can’t wait to see the new
exhibit at the Tallulah Falls museum on antique tapestries and textiles,
including beautiful kilim rugs. But her enthusiasm quickly turns to
terror when, the day after the exhibition opens, she discovers a dead
body behind her store, the Seven-Year Stitch, wrapped up in a most
unusual fashion.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The victim appears to be a visiting
art professor in town for the exhibit. Did someone decide to teach the
professor a lesson, then attempt to sweep the evidence under the rug?
Along with her boyfriend, Detective Ted Nash, Marcy must unravel an
intricate tapestry of deception to find a desperate killer.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thread-End-Embroidery-Amanda-Lee-ebook/dp/B00GSBEDI0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1390178732&sr=8-1&keywords=Thread+End" style="text-decoration: none;">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Cozy Mystery</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Amanda%20Lee&search-alias=digital-text" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Amanda Lee on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GayleTrentandAmandaLee" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a><a href="https://twitter.com/leah_beth" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><br /></a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.gayletrent.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-YTHdt59oPNToypDfFq2iQ7Epl5g" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.gayletrent.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-7752874569256702632014-09-16T10:00:00.000-04:002014-12-04T07:17:58.305-05:00A LIFE LESS ORDINARY by @VicBernadine #Excerpt #ChickLit #Contemporary <div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leah watched with amusement as Zeke paced around her boardroom.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m
telling you, she won’t last a week! A more…prudish, repressed woman I
have yet to meet! I doubt she’s done anything just for fun in her life!”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Doesn’t mean she won’t go the full six months,” Leah replied mildly.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Oh, please! She wears her hair in a bun! A <i>bun</i>!
And if her face has seen makeup in the last ten years, I’ll eat my
socks! She’ll get scared at the first loud noise and skitter home to
safety.” He shook his head. “This is a non-story. Trust me.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Well,
I think you should still take the trip. You can write this blog you’re
currently working on if you want to–but you’ll probably be wrong.” She
frowned thoughtfully. “You know…I wonder if she’d be interested in
writing a guest blog.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Zeke stopped in his tracks. “<i>What?</i>”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Sure,”
Leah said, gaining enthusiasm. “That’s not a bad plan B. She could
write updates of her journey–I mean, my subscribers are absolutely rabid
about this–and absolutely passionate about you going with her if the
poll results and the comments are anything to go by. Half want you to
expose her as pathetic; the other half want you to be surprised and
humbled and knocked off your high horse.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Hey!”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Some
love you; some love to hate you–but they all want you to document this
woman’s adventure–no matter how long it lasts, or what you learn.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Well, it’s a non-story–I’m telling you. She probably won’t even make it out of town. I doubt she’s ever been anywhere!”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“That’s…actually kinda sad.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Zeke shrugged. “Yeah, well–those were the choices she made.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leah frowned at him. “You don’t know what she’s faced in her life. You shouldn’t be so judgmental.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Zeke grinned at her. “Hey, that’s why you pay me the big bucks, you know–because I’m so judgmental.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“You
know, if I didn’t know that sometimes you can actually be a really
nice, understanding guy, I’d think you were the biggest jerk that ever
walked the planet.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He shrugged again. “People don’t want to read the blog of a nice guy.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“But they would love to see you taken down a peg or two.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Oh, like any tightly wound old lady could do that!” he scoffed.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Leah
gave him a reproving look as she stood and walked over to him, a hand
cupped around her ear. “Do you hear that? That’s the sound of fate
taking aim right–” she poked him hard in the middle of the forehead–“<i>there</i>.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ALifeLessOrdinary.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For
the last fifteen years, Rose “Manny” Mankowski has been a very good
girl. She turned her back on her youthful fancies and focused on her
career. But now, at the age of 45, she’s questioning her choices and
feeling more and more disconnected from her own life. When she’s passed
over for promotion and her much younger new boss implies Manny’s life
will never change, something snaps. In the blink of an eye, she’s quit
her job, sold her house and cashed in her pension, and she’s leaving
town on a six month road trip.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After
placing a personal ad for a travelling companion, she’s joined in her
mid-life crisis by Zeke Powell, the cynical, satirical, most-read – and
most controversial – blogger for the e-magazine, What Women Want. Zeke’s
true goal is to expose Manny’s journey as a pitiful and desperate
attempt to reclaim her lost youth – and increase his readership at the
same time. Leaving it all behind for six months is just an added bonus.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now,
armed with a bagful of destinations, a fistful of maps, and an
out-spoken imaginary friend named Harvey, Manny’s on a quest to
rediscover herself – and taking Zeke along for the ride.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AMJBOSQ" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a> & <a href="http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/299257" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – ChickLit, Contemporary Fiction</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Victoria-Bernadine/e/B00AN2VS5G/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Connect</b> with Victoria Bernadine on <a href="https://twitter.com/VicBernadine" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Blog <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://victoriabernadine.wordpress.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2_NZu0iup6n2vJwBd--NRvslbSPnw" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">victoriabernadine.wordpress.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-68964399745913344712014-08-30T10:30:00.000-04:002014-09-08T19:18:19.126-04:00Robert Breeze on Family, Happiness & Writing @robertbreeze #AmWriting #AmReading #Fiction<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/ciu/5a/b2/c3bc25758f810a20958234.L._V364389855_SX200_.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/ciu/5a/b2/c3bc25758f810a20958234.L._V364389855_SX200_.jpg" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Tell us a bit about your family.<b>
Mum, Dad and dog Winston live in Hereford, a small town near Wales.
Brother James lives in London and I pop over to see him when I need a
good roast dinner.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">2. How do you work through self-doubts and fear?<b> It’s a torturous process and one I’ve not found a solution to, other than working on something else/crying.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">3. What scares you the most?<b> I have recurring nightmares about ships and being back in an exam situation</b>.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">4. What makes you happiest?<b> Writing with my dog at my feet.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">5. What’s your greatest character strength?<b> Work ethic.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">6. What’s your weakest character trait?<b> Obsessive about planning.</b></span></span></div>
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">7. Why do you write?<b> Sounds vomit inducing but it’s just become my main passion.</b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2082.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2082.jpg"><img alt="2082" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-29891" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2082.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/2082.jpg" height="200" style="border: 0px none; cursor: default;" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/2082-Chronicles-Hope-Robert-Breeze-ebook/dp/B00BFXKQ3C/ref=tmm_kin_title_0/279-9178601-4144401?ie=UTF8&qid=1361384624&sr=8-1&tag=booaremag-20" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/2082-Chronicles-Hope-Robert-Breeze-ebook/dp/B00BFXKQ3C/ref=tmm_kin_title_0/279-9178601-4144401?ie=UTF8&qid=1361384624&sr=8-1&tag=booaremag-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Political Fiction</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Robert-Breeze/e/B00BG6206O/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Robert-Breeze/e/B00BG6206O/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" target="_blank">the author</a> and<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/2014/01/2082-chronicles-hope-robert-breeze/" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/2014/01/2082-chronicles-hope-robert-breeze/">the book</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with Robert Breeze on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/chroniclesofhope" href="https://www.facebook.com/chroniclesofhope" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/robertbreeze" href="https://twitter.com/robertbreeze" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-58791160332864604722014-08-30T10:00:00.000-04:002014-10-08T11:44:10.570-04:00Roland Hughes on Being Well Known #IndieAuthors #SocialMedia #AmWriting <div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Despite
what you have heard, that question is foremost in the mind of every
writer who hasn’t become fabulously wealthy. I have heard many deny it,
yet they go out and promote their books. You will hear many claim they
“need to write and don’t care if anybody buys it.” Well, the first
part was probably true, but if they didn’t care about people buying it
they wouldn’t keep putting it up for temporary free download. Not just a
chapter or two mind you, the entire book. The on-line world has put in
place systems to feed this need for recognition and/or discovery.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The
on-line world has answered with hundreds of places to download books
for free. Even Amazon has various “free download” promotional
programs. Many of the “free” eBook sites allow authors to post just a
few chapters so readers can decide if they like the work before
purchasing it. There was a time when that actually worked for all
involved. Most of the services handing out an author’s work for free
allow them access to some kind of dashboard or report which shows them
the number of downloads to feed the fantasy of having been discovered.
It really is just a fantasy for 99.99%. True, when eBooks and eReaders
were first entering the market such free downloads generated buzz and
sold additional units. Today the only buzz they seem to generate is in
the file hoarder community and they are only looking for free stuff.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Currently
there are a growing number of people with the addiction. There has
been a slogan attached to drug dealers, at least in the writing world if
not real life, “first hit is free.” Now anyone can upload an unedited
work to one or more of these on-line markets and watch the download
counter climb. The rush feeds the fantasy they will be “discovered” and
offered a book contract with a rich and famous sized advance. When the
rush wears off they either begin spending their own money promoting or
quickly create another work to post for free so they can feel the rush
again.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">You’ve
all seen the news of formerly famous people and their downward spiral
out of this world. Addiction is a brutal thing. Many of you have heard
or seen news reports where some member of law enforcement comes on the
screen and states “the new form of drug Y isn’t the same as it was in
the 60s and 70s, it is N times deadlier.” The same has become true of
the free book market. There has been a culture shift on a global
scale. A growing percentage of the world population now believe they
should be able to download anything they want without having to pay for
it. The people making the money from this new addiction are the people
selling the paraphernalia which would be the devices required to consume
and or obtain the free stuff. Many vendors of such devices pitch the
size of the free library you will have access to with their device.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the other side of that ether from whence the free stuff comes is a writer who is driven to write asking “Do you know me?”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/johnSmith.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“John
Smith: Last Known Survivor of the Microsoft Wars” is one big interview.
It is a transcript of a dialogue between “John Smith” (who, as the
title of the book implies is the last known survivor of the Microsoft
wars) and the interviewer for a prominent news organization.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/John-Smith-Known-Survivor-Microsoft/dp/193973200X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a> &amp; <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/john-smith-roland-hughes/1102176003?ean=9781939732002" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">B&amp;N</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Dystopian Fiction</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Roland+Hughes&search-alias=books&text=Roland+Hughes&sort=relevancerank" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://johnsmith-book.com/&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-70oxuHXvWgcvombsi9GJmpfL5eA" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://johnsmith-book.com/</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-91659095567798960972014-08-30T07:30:00.000-04:002014-10-08T12:41:09.666-04:00DL Cox on How She Writes and Her Favourite Author #AmReading #Fantasy #BookClub<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. What scares you most?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As
a father of four with the youngest being nine and one, I'm afraid of
not properly preparing my younger children for what's waiting for them
out there in the world.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>2. Who is your favorite author?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jessie
Redmon Fauset. She was part of that first wave of writers published
during what we ca~l the Harlem Renaissance. Although some have charged
her with indulging in too much idealism, that's what I love about her.
She dared to capture the reality of a dire situation and reimagined and
cultivated it into a world of hopeful and inspiring possibilities.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>3. How do you write (laptop, pen, paper, in bed, at a desk)?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There
was a time when I wrote with pen and paper, but that was nearly a
decade ago. I'm a sit at the computer and type kind of guy. I may jot
something onto a piece of paper if I can't get to the computer, but it's
become very difficult for ideas to come to me with a pen in hand. I'm
addicted to seeing my words and ideas magically appear on the screen as I
type. It's almost inspirational. I get a rush out of it.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>4. How much sleep do you need to be at your best?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sleep?
Who sleeps? Seriously. I steal an hour here and there. Much of my
writing is the result of a lot of contemplation about how a story or
plot can play out. Not only does that contemplation happen long before I
start writing, but it usually occurs when I'm trying to go to sleep.
Before I know it, I've spent hours lying in bed working a story out in
my head. I guess you could say that I'm at my best when I think I need
sleep.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>5. Every writer has their own idea of what a successful career in writing is, what does success in writing look like to you?</b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It
would be great if I could make a lot of money from my writing, but
money's not the barometer I use to measure my success as a writer.
Although it sounds corny or cliché, I just want people to enjoy my
writing. Success for me is about having readers really connect with a
moment, a character, a situation, or even a sentence in my works. I've
experienced a stranger telling me I how much he loved a certain scene in
one of my works, how much it touched him, and at that moment I got a
taste of what it is to be a successful writer. That's the bar for me.
I'm hoping to have millions of people expressing those kinds of
connections to my work, even if they passed around the same book. Of
course I would prefer they each purchase their own copy. Like I said,
it'll be great to make a lot of money.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>6. What's your greatest strength as a writer? <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></b><b><i> </i></b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I
would say that my greatest strength as a writer is that I don't take
writing for granted. I cherish every opportunity I've been afforded to
write. There are people who are capable of writing, but they can never
seem to get going. I understand that writing is not simply a skill, it's
also a gift. I don't take it for granted, which leads me to constantly
work at being better at it.</span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>7. What book should everybody read at least once?</b><b data-mce-style="line-height: 1.5em;" style="line-height: 1.5em;"> </b></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There are so many. If I had to choose one, I'd say Walter Mosely's<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Man in My Basement.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i>It's
kind of quirky, but it's very thought-provoking. It's a great
conversation piece to say the least. It raises a lot of controversial
questions without taking itself too seriously. <b> </b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/HostChronicles.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/HostChronicles.jpg"><img alt="HostChronicles" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-33287" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/HostChronicles.jpg" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/HostChronicles.jpg" height="200" style="border: 0px none; cursor: default;" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In
this Urban Fantasy, the devil’s daughter, SALEENA, and her reaper
boyfriend, IZZY, elope to earth and seek to overthrow her estranged
brother, SIMON CLASH, as the devil’s heir apparent on earth, but Simon
is head of a powerful conglomerate, and he’s not going out without a
fight. As the rivalry turns bloody, the warring siblings discover the
devil has been manipulating their feud to advance his secret agenda and
is using them as decoys to draw out a sword-wielding champion of
humanity called the HOST, whom must be slain before the devil can
unleash a reign of terror on earth.</span></span></div>
<div data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Legend
says the Host will emerge when humanity plunges into hopelessness and
despair, and NATHANIEL BRENNER, the young man responsible for delivering
a magic sword to the Host, hopes that is soon. Nathaniel has spent the
last six years searching for the Host to no avail and has recently seen a
drastic rise in demon activity on earth, which he knows could only mean
one thing: humanity is running out of time. Saleena and Simon unite to
save their own hides, but it may be too late—not only for the devil’s
offspring, but for humanity too! The future of humanity hangs in the
balance, and Nathaniel is determined to thwart the devil’s plans and
find the Host.</span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/Host-Chronicles-Devils-Offspring-Volume/dp/1490916571?tag=booaremag-20" href="http://www.amazon.com/Host-Chronicles-Devils-Offspring-Volume/dp/1490916571?tag=booaremag-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre - Urban Fantasy</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating - PG-13</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/D-L-Cox/e/B0081GNVWE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" href="http://www.amazon.com/D-L-Cox/e/B0081GNVWE/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 1.3em; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Connect</b> with D L Cox on <a data-mce-href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Host-Chronicles/229105260585809?ref=hl" href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Host-Chronicles/229105260585809?ref=hl" target="_blank">Facebook</a> &<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="iamsalihisrail@gmail.com" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-admin/iamsalihisrail@gmail.com" target="_blank">Email</a></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-6895127613001139272014-08-26T09:00:00.000-04:002014-10-29T07:27:33.749-04:00The Other Side of the Ice #Excerpt by @TheobaldSprague #Memoir #Climate #Divorce <div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As
we rolled into the next day and the sun was illuminating the fog around
us, Dominique saw an extremely large target that wasn’t moving,
especially out of our way. The persistent, heavy fog that had settled in
around 2 a.m. gave an ethereal feel to a light not quite twilight or
dawn. Yet what was now showing up on the radar four miles to the north
was so large neither fog nor low light could hide it; our first official
sighting of an ice- berg was an amazingly impressive one in that this
berg had to have been at least a thousand feet long and more than 100
feet high. The fog was playing tricks in that first this “thing” was
there, then it wasn’t. When I could see it, my immediate impression of
the massive hulk in the fog was that of an aircraft carrier. It had to
be, nothing was that big and tall and actually moved.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As
there wasn’t sufficient light to photograph it, Dominique and I went
through every possibility we could so that we could define it for the
others as they revolved into the watch schedule; there were no
rectangular, steep-sided islands charted for the area and it was too
irregular to be any sort of cargo ship. Looking at it through the
glasses, we could see the jagged and rough outline it presented against
the northern sky. There was no doubting that it was truly a mountain of
ice. And, as the minutes ticked by, our sighting was confirmed by the
presence of several others—albeit not half as large— mini-islands of
ice. By now all were up and crammed into the pilothouse, all with
cameras in hand and soft exclamations about the size and power of these
giants. The first sighting of ice is one that I will never forget. It’s
no exaggeration when I realized that the icebergs held power, strength,
drive, and a presence that could truly not care less about who you are
or where it is you</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">want
to go. They travel along silently. Seas break against their frozen and
rock-hard surfaces, exploding with furious impotence as this massive
structure of blue-brown-white ice keeps its determined course. Yet, as
we were to learn, their presence wasn’t always known. A few hours later,
I’d rotated out of watch and was below cleaning up when I heard
Dominique say from the pilothouse, “Jesus, that one didn’t even show up
on radar.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It
was hard to ignore such a comment so I went up to join her and
immediately saw that we were now in the company of many more of these
floating, silent icy sentinels and, sure enough, a particularly large
one about three miles off our bows failed to register even as much as a
blip on the radars. Yet some smaller ones, perhaps the size of
Volkswagen Beetles, stood out bright and conspicuous on the green
electronic screens.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All
through that foggy morning, as many sets of eyes that were available
were glued to either one of the two radars as ice targets and bearings
were called out to the helmsman of the hour.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">No
exaggeration to say there were five sets of nerves on a knife edge. As
the hours ticked by and the heat of the morning sun started to cook off
some of the fog, we became more accustomed to the ice and a bit
emboldened. I asked Clinton to take us closer to a particularly large
iceberg that had amazing shapes, ledges, tiny waterfalls, and brilliant
deep, ice-blue colors glowing from within. Very capably and with great
precision, Clinton all but drifted<i>Bagan </i>up to this massive berg.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On
the grand scale of things, it was far from massive but when you’re in a
boat one-tenth its size, it fit the definition of “massive.”</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/TheOtherSideOfIce.jpg" /></span></span></div>
<div id="postBodyPS" style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A sailor and his family’s harrowing and inspiring story of their attempt to sail the treacherous Northwest Passage.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sprague
Theobald, an award-winning documentary filmmaker and expert sailor with
over 40,000 offshore miles under his belt, always considered the
Northwest Passage–the sea route connecting the Atlantic to the
Pacific–the ultimate uncharted territory. Since Roald Amundsen completed
the first successful crossing of the fabled Northwest Passage in 1906,
only twenty-four pleasure craft have followed in his wake. Many more
people have gone into space than have traversed the Passage, and a
staggering number have died trying. From his home port of Newport, Rhode
Island, through the Passage and around Alaska to Seattle, it would be
an 8,500-mile trek filled with constant danger from ice, polar bears,
and severe weather.</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">What
Theobald couldn’t have known was just how life-changing his journey
through the Passage would be. Reuniting his children and stepchildren
after a bad divorce more than fifteen years earlier, the family embarks
with unanswered questions, untold hurts, and unspoken mistrusts hanging
over their heads. Unrelenting cold, hungry polar bears, and a haunting
landscape littered with sobering artifacts from the tragic Franklin
Expedition of 1845, as well as personality clashes that threaten to tear
the crew apart, make The Other Side of the Ice a harrowing story of
survival, adventure, and, ultimately, redemption.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">( <b>TO WATCH THE OFFICIAL HD TEASER FOR “The Other Side of The Ice” [book and documentary] PLEASE GO TO:</b> <i><b>VIMEO.COM/45526226) </b></i></span></span><br />
<br />
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Other-Side-Ice-Treacherous-Negotiating-ebook/dp/B008QD8OTC/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1396289433" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Memoir, adventure, family, climate</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – PG</i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Sprague%20Theobald&search-alias=digital-text" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Connect</b> with Sprague Theobald on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheOtherSideoftheIce" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/TheobaldSprague" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
<div align="center" style="margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.spraguetheobald.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy2-hqap-1OaYQfgpmkVVaj6tZwQK7A" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">www.spraguetheobald.com</a></b></span></span></div>
</div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-63295432705787647482014-08-18T12:30:00.000-04:002014-08-18T12:30:00.833-04:00The Soul of the World by @jg_silverman #Fantasy #AmReading #ReviewShare <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17453855-the-soul-of-the-world" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Soul of the World (Legends of Amun Ra, #2)" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1377614824m/17453855.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17453855-the-soul-of-the-world">The Soul of the World</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6479929.Joshua_Silverman">Joshua Silverman</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1029781143">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
The writing definitely deserves applause. This is definitely better than the first book in the series. All of the characters are complex. The fantasy elements are richly developed. From start to finish, the pace is fast and does not lag. There were no unnecessary dialogue or scenes, especially ones that did not connect to the key focus of the book. In the end, everything was connected. <br />
<br />
The protagonist has a driven goal which by 30% of the book has the reader rooting in his favour. Good or bad, his reactions were strong and clear in a way that made me like him even more. Despite the need to do what others wanted him to do, he was intent on finding his way. <br />
<br />
An easy story to read and even better story to love. Four stars from me. <br />
<br />
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads UK Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my book review. This book review is based on my thoughts, opinion and understanding of the book. This book review does not reflect the opinion of other book club members.
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/15137786-kenny-lovelace">View all my reviews</a>
Kenny Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254214793499465953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-56844879555891487042014-08-18T11:30:00.000-04:002014-08-18T11:30:00.110-04:00Dance for a Dead Princess by Deborah Hawkins @DeborahHawk3 #Mystery #Romance #ReviewShare <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21547340-dance-for-a-dead-princess" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Dance for a Dead Princess" border="0" src="https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395729541m/21547340.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21547340-dance-for-a-dead-princess">Dance for a Dead Princess</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7039600.Deborah_Hawkins">Deborah Hawkins</a><br />
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1029777338">4 of 5 stars</a><br />
<br />
This is one of those books that is a great conversation starter and can make conversations go on for a long time because you'll want to turn every angle around so nothing is missed. If it isn't already obvious, I love mysteries. <br />
<br />
The theory or rumour that Princess Diana knew of her assassination plan is a strong point of debate. That alone would have anyone scrambling to read this book. Some readers will point out that the involvement of royalty was nothing but a mcguffin but I think it draws on the idea of how we perceive people which is the very foundation of this book. <br />
<br />
Both main characters perceive each other in a strong, stubborn manner which later has them backtracking. I had just finished an Atwood book when I got to this so my expectations were high. The introduction felt forced but by the time you reached 25%, you start to have a relationship with the characters and there's no turning back. <br />
<br />
If you are looking for a fabulous "carry you away" type read, this is it. The characters are human and wonderful. They are frail and faulty. You can see yourself in each one of the decisions they must make. It's not the "rending of the loincloth" type romance, either, and I'm so happy it’s not.<br />
<br />
Disclosure - As a Quality Reads UK Book Club member, I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my book review. This book review is based on my thoughts, opinion and understanding of the book. This book review does not reflect the opinion of other book club members. <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/15137786-kenny-lovelace">View all my reviews</a>
Kenny Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254214793499465953noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-66030182683178321652014-08-13T09:30:00.000-04:002014-10-11T08:46:32.433-04:00@MargaretWestlie on the Origins of 'Anna's Secret' #Historical #Mystery #AmWriting<br />
I have been steeped in the stories about my ancestors since my birth. They may have even seeped into me through the walls of the womb. Anna’s Secret is a story I’ve heard many times from various people. The latest version was from my Uncle Harold. He said that one of our own people was suspected of the crime of murdering Anne Beaton with a turnip hoe. It was said that she was no better than she should be and was doing a little marital wandering with someone in the community. For a long time the smithy was suspected. He was in custody for a period but was finally exonerated and left Prince Edward Island for good. Ultimately the authorities decided that the crime was perpetrated by a woman and was in fact, a crime of passion. This last was pronounced with great relish. They never found the person responsible. It seems that Anne had greatly riled a wronged wife, and probably several.<br />
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The story caught my imagination and I began to wonder: what if she wasn’t who they thought she was? What if the reason for her murder was entirely different? What if the murderer was discovered? Who would it be? Her husband? The wronged woman? The man she was said to be involved with? There was a lot to play with here. In a technical sense, how close to reality could I be without offending descendents? Not too close, I decided. Anyway, it’s more fun to write what pops into my mind and see how it plays out.<br />
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As I wrote, the narrative opened like a flower as I examined the individuals who I decided were involved. Who were they? What relationship did they hold to Anna and to her family and to each other? How did Old Annie figure into it? After all she was a daft old woman who had to be transported to gatherings in a wheelbarrow because she couldn’t be left alone. Most of the time she didn’t know anyone and lived in her mind very far in the past with people she knew in her youth. What did she have to do with Anna’s murder? After all, she and Anna had been life-long friends.<br />
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And what did it do to the community? Their sense of safety was shattered and people took to locking their doors, some even in the daytime. This was in a community that never locked its doors even in my grandmother’s time. I remember this from my childhood. The only time the door was locked was if they were going to be away for an extended period because, what if someone needed something and they weren’t home to give it to them? I remember my own mother telling me a story about an old man who peddled goods and trinkets door-to-door. He was a little simple as they say here. They woke up one morning and discovered him asleep on the lounge with a blazing fire in the stove. After the murder, people were afraid to walk out alone at night.<br />
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As the story progressed it took awhile for me to realize who the real perpetrator was and the denouement was almost as much a surprise to me as it will be to you.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/annasSecret.jpg" /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Anna
Gillis, the midwife and neighbour in Mattie’s Story, has been found
killed. The close-knit community is deeply shaken by this eruption of
violence, and neighbours come together to help one another and to
discover the perpetrator. But the answer lies Anna’s secret, long
guarded by Old Annie, the last of the original Selkirk Settlers, and the
protagonist of An Irregular Marriage. Join the community! Read Anna’s
Secret and other novels by Margaret A. Westlie.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IEEXUMO" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a> & <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/418795" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Smashwords</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Fiction, mystery, historical</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – G</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Margaret-Westlie/e/B00HZRKK10" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Connect</b> with Margaret Westlie on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/margaretwestlienovelist" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/MargaretWestlie" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Website <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.margaretwestlie.com&usd=2&usg=ALhdy29ilE1Iu2yMnk-3FJ1ZhE-qq3C3Qg" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.margaretwestlie.com</a></b></span></span></div>
Quality Reads UKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03216387289293473067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-17259181894287917602014-07-22T09:30:00.000-04:002014-07-22T12:07:37.918-04:00Lights Over Emerald Creek by @ShelleyDavidow #AmReading #SciFi #YA<h1 data-mce-style="text-align: center;" style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19px; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Three of the true life mysteries behind<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>Lights Over Emerald Creek – 524</i></span></span></h1>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Lucy investigates strange lights over the creek at the bottom of the property, she discovers a mystery that links the lights to the science of cymatics, Scotland’s ancient Rosslyn Chapel, and Saturn’s mysterious hexagonal storm. But just what are the real life mysteries behind Lights Over Emerald Creek.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Hexagonal Storm on Saturn’s North Pole</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For the past 29 years, the planet Saturn has had its north pole in darkness, as it moved through its very long night. Then, as the polar region emerged into day light, the Cassini craft flew by and, in 2007, took stunning photographs of a bizarre hexagonal storm above Saturn’s north pole. The storm is about 29,000 kilometers in diameter, and although no one knows the cause of this storm, NASA says this:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The six-sided shape remains a mystery. Scientists think the hexagon is a meandering jet stream at 77 degrees north latitude, but they don’t know what controls the path the stream takes. These images also show new phenomena for scientists to decipher…</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For more information about the Cassini-Huygens mission, or to see images, visit<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/" href="http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/">http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Cassini imaging team homepage is at<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://ciclops.org/" href="http://ciclops.org/">http://ciclops.org</a>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Article quote from:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/cassini20091209.html" href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/cassini20091209.html">http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/multimedia/cassini20091209.html</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cymatics. Music creates Geometric Shapes</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cymatics is the name used to describe the intricate geometric forms that arise when salt is sprinkled on a copper plate and exposed to sound vibrations. Each musical note is a frequency that results in varying geometric forms. Galileo Galilei apparently first wrote about it in 1632. In 1680 Robert Hook ran a violin bow along the edge of a glass plate covered with flour and noticed amazing geometric patterns. In 1787 Ernst Chladni was the person who exposed this knowledge to the public when he published ‘Discoveries in the Theories of Sound.’ The word ‘Cymatics’ comes from the Greek<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><i>ta kymatika</i><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>meaning ‘matters pertaining to waves. Each musical note has a representative geometric form.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For more information on Cymatics, look at: Hans Jenny Cymatics<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.rexresearch.com/cymatics/cymatics.htm" href="http://www.rexresearch.com/cymatics/cymatics.htm">http://www.rexresearch.com/cymatics/cymatics.htm</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A Real Secret Code in Scotland’s Rosslyn Chapel</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2007, in Scotland, musicologists Stuart Mitchell and his father David, cracked a weird ‘code’ that was embedded in the relief carvings inside Scotland’s Rosslyn Chapel. Strange cubes with geometric patterns carved into the structure of the chapel, combined with a stave angel with its fingers pointing to musical notes finally made sense to the father and son who had been working on this puzzle for years: the geometric patterns were musical notes, ‘frozen music’, or images of Cymatics patterns carved into the walls of the chapel hundreds of years ago. When the musicologists established which notes were portrayed, they played them. Out of that came a piece of music they’ve called the ‘Rosslyn Motet’. It can be heard on:<a data-mce-href="http://www.tjmitchell.com/stuart/saturnvideo/rossmotet.mp3" href="http://www.tjmitchell.com/stuart/saturnvideo/rossmotet.mp3"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>http://www.tjmitchell.com/stuart/saturnvideo/rossmotet.mp3</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And … Stuart Mitchell believes that the pattern on Saturn is a actually a giant version of Cymatics, and that the planet is generating the equivalent of a musical score. Radio waves recorded from Saturn and translated into sound can be heard here:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu/space-audio/cassini/SKR2/casskrtrig04207a.wav" href="http://www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu/space-audio/cassini/SKR2/casskrtrig04207a.wav">http://www-pw.physics.uiowa.edu/space-audio/cassini/SKR2/casskrtrig04207a.wav</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And though this may be a co-incidence, if you play the Rosslyn motet together with the radio-waves from Saturn, you hear something really interesting:<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href="http://www.tjmitchell.com/stuart/saturnvideo/signalross.mp3" href="http://www.tjmitchell.com/stuart/saturnvideo/signalross.mp3">http://www.tjmitchell.com/stuart/saturnvideo/signalross.mp3</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/LightsOverEmeraldCreek.jpg" href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/LightsOverEmeraldCreek.jpg"><img alt="LightsOverEmeraldCreek" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-33708" data-mce-src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/LightsOverEmeraldCreek.jpg" height="200" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/LightsOverEmeraldCreek.jpg" width="130" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lucy Wright, sixteen and a paraplegic after a recent car accident that took her mother's life, lives in Queensland on a 10,000 acre farm with her father. When Lucy investigates strange lights over the creek at the bottom of the property, she discovers a mystery that links the lights to the science of cymatics and Scotland’s ancient Rosslyn Chapel.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">But beyond the chapel is an even larger mystery. One that links the music the chapel contains to Norway’s mysterious Hessdalen lights, and beyond that to Saturn and to the stars. Lucy’s discoveries catapult her into a parallel universe connected to our own by means of resonance and sound, where a newly emerging world trembles on the edge of disaster. As realities divide, her mission in this new world is revealed and she finds herself part of a love story that will span the galaxy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong><span class="s1"><a data-mce-href="http://haguepublishing.com/sample/LightsOverEmeraldCreek.html" href="http://haguepublishing.com/sample/LightsOverEmeraldCreek.html" target="_blank">Sample & Purchase Links</a></span><span class="s2" data-mce-style="color: #000000;"> </span></strong></span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Genre - Young Adult SF</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Rating - PG</em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>More details about <a data-mce-href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Shelley%20Davidow&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Shelley%20Davidow&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank" target="_blank">the author</a></em></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong data-mce-style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;" style="line-height: 1.5em;">Connect</strong><span data-mce-style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;" style="line-height: 1.5em;"> with Shelley Davidow on </span><a data-mce-href=" https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyDavidow" data-mce-style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.5em;" href="https://www.facebook.com/ShelleyDavidow" style="line-height: 1.5em;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> &<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><a data-mce-href=" https://twitter.com/shelleydavidow " href="https://twitter.com/shelleydavidow" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
Mickalia Peckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00019698247961366566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-29757540421537342002014-07-09T11:30:00.000-04:002014-07-10T08:22:47.306-04:00The Curse Giver by @DoraMachado #Fantasy #Paranormal #AmReading THE NEXT FEW DAYS WERE LOST to Lusielle. Her life was a jumbled sequence of snippets, blurry images breaking up long periods of dense darkness, triggered by a sudden jostle or a twinge of pain, cold, heat or thirst. She spotted glimpses of a gray sky, spitting out rain, and campfires burning deep in the woods. There was more rain, and a face—his face—hovering just beyond reach.<br />
<br />
Occasionally, sound trickled into her muffled world from a distant place. The wind rustled through the trees. The horses’ hooves pounded on dirt, gravel, and mud. Men spoke, snorted, muttered and snored. A low, measured voice—his voice—echoed very near, urging her to drink, eat or sleep, accompanied by the pervasive masculine scent that was her constant companion. <br />
<br />
There were times when she came to just enough to realize that she existed in the world in-between, where gods and mortals met in dreams, where dreams and reality were one and the same. In those moments, she realized that she survived only because of someone else’s will, that if she wanted a future, she had to wake up and seize it. She kept trying, even though it required great effort, like swimming against a colossal tide. <br />
<br />
“This way,” the voice said. <br />
<br />
She felt listless as a corpse, but she grabbed on to that voice and followed it to a semblance of consciousness. Fighting her heavy eyelids, she managed to glimpse the man’s stern face, outlined against a background of pewter clouds. <br />
<br />
<i>Brennus.</i> <br />
<br />
She rode with him on his horse, wrapped in an oiled mantle, mostly protected from the rain. His strong arms kept her from slipping off the massive beast. His armored chest offered a hard but steady pillow. The beat of his heart echoed through the copper plates, strong, vibrant, and enthralling. <br />
<br />
He must have realized that she was awake, because his stare swooped down on her like a hawk on the prowl, even though his voice was gentle. “Hush,” he said. “We won’t be too much longer on the road today.” <br />
<br />
His eyes were lined with worry and exhaustion. So were the faces of the other men who rode with him. All of them were wet, tired and miserable, picking their way up a steep mountain track as the relentless rain continued to pelt them. That same rain was dripping from Brennus’s face, drenching his hair and trickling down his neck. <br />
<br />
“The rain,” she whispered. “It’s making you wet.” She reached out to dry the water from his face, but the wound on her back protested with a pang of pain. <br />
<br />
He caught her hand and tucked it back into the blanket. “It’s no use,” he said. “You can’t keep me dry.” <br />
<br />
“One can try,” she said. <br />
<br />
And he actually smiled. <br />
<br />
“Where are we?” she asked. <br />
<br />
“South of nowhere and north of wherever,” he said. “Far from the usual routes. We’re seven days out.” <br />
<br />
Seven days was an awful long time to be senseless among strangers. <br />
<br />
“Don’t worry,” he said. “Riva’s not going to find us.” <br />
<br />
She winced when the horse missed a step. <br />
<br />
“Hato!” Brennus called. <br />
<br />
Why was he barking like that? <br />
<br />
There was splashing, the sound of hooves clattering and then, “My lord?” <br />
<br />
“We’ve got to stop. The fever’s back and she’s hurting again.” <br />
<br />
“No place to stop around here, my lord,” the other man said. <br />
<br />
“Send Severo and Cirillo ahead,” he said. “Tell them to find a decent camp and get a fire going. She’s got to rest.” <br />
<br />
“My lord,” he said, “we have pressing business. We can’t slow down to accommodate her comfort—” <br />
<br />
“Do you want her alive or not?” <br />
<br />
The other man sighed. “As you wish, my lord.” He rode away. <br />
<br />
She tried to tell him that she was fine, but ended up whimpering instead. <br />
<br />
“Shush,” he whispered in her ear. “You need to sleep.” <br />
<br />
And by the Thousand Gods, off she went, at his command, into the darkness again, following his heart’s steady rhythm as it sang a lullaby to her heart.<br />
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<a href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Curse-Giver.jpg"><img alt="Curse Giver" border="0" src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Curse-Giver.jpg" height="200" style="background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" width="130" /></a></div>
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<b>Award-Winning Finalist in the fantasy category of The 2013 USA Best Book Awards, sponsored by USA Book News</b></div>
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Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Curse-Giver-Dora-Machado/dp/1606192892/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382637997&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Curse+Giver">Amazon</a></div>
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<i>Genre – Fantasy/Dark Fantasy</i></div>
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<i>Rating – PG-18</i></div>
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<i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dora-Machado/e/B006RW7R7O/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1">the author</a> and <a href="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/2013/11/curse-giver-dora-machado/">the book</a> </i></div>
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<b>Connect</b> with Dora Machado on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/DoraMachado101">Facebook</a> & <a href="http://twitter.com/DoraMachado">Twitter</a></div>
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<b>Website <a href="http://www.doramachado.com/">http://www.doramachado.com/</a></b></div>
Kenny Lovehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03254214793499465953noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2899245320495875238.post-24420361153816550522014-07-08T10:30:00.000-04:002014-09-27T03:44:59.776-04:00@ScottMoonWriter Dissects Pseudonyms & Writing #SciFi #AmWriting #WriteTip <div style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px; margin-bottom: 10px;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Three reasons authors use pen names:</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">1) To avoid embarrassment</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">2) To try something new</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">3) To avoid genre confusion</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Points two and three are related, and in this case, using a pen name is probably a good idea. The readers of your bestselling spy thriller might not be interested in your young adult novel. And it might be hard to promote a story book for kids and the next 50 Shades of Gray on the same web site. Establishing a pen name for each genre you choose to write could be a good idea.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Danger:</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Facebook and Google have strong prohibitions against multiple identities, and frankly, it isn’t easy to create multiple profiles. I looked into it, and found the process beyond my moderate computer skills and the warning flags scared the daylight out of me. Could an independent author succeed after being banned from both Facebook and Google?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Not likely.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Goodbye social media. Goodbye author platform.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">But if you must:</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Kindle Direct Publishing allows the use of pen names. I researched this option because I write Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Crime Thrillers. Like many writers, I mix and match with pretentions to try about anything that can be made with words, including Romance, Steampunk, Historical Fiction, and various hybrid genres no one is likely to ever read.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Call me a daydreamer who writes, and you wouldn’t be wrong.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">It is easy to create Twitter profiles and blogs, but I always worry that an internet user with more skill than I’ll ever have will immediately see that all the profiles are the same person. My decision not to use a pen name comes down to time management. I’d rather write than decipher Facebook.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">A good argument against pen names:</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">One of the keys to selling books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords is the ever-popular backlist. Simply put, the more books you publish, the more they promote each other. Search engines find your name and your work more frequently. Loyal readers try other things you have written.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">It’s a veritable paradise of indie-publishing glory.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Okay, it’s a lot harder than the <i>Instantly Sell Millions of Books in your Spare Time and Never Work Again </i>books make it seem. Developing an author platform is hard work. It takes time to write the books, fiction or nonfiction, and more time to market them.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">Why diffuse your efforts using multiple pen names?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">I believe using pen names in a smart, responsible way is a viable strategy for both indie and traditional authors. My advice is to proceed with caution.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span lang="EN-US">What’s your advice?</span></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US">I read more blogs than I write. If you have thoughts on pen names, or recommended articles, please let me know. This is a topic I’ve considered deeply and researched to the best of my knowledge, which is to say, I’m a student a welcome your advice.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN-US"><img src="http://www.orangeberrybooktours.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/enemyOfMan.jpg" /></span></span></span></div>
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Lost Hero</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Changed by captivity and torture, hunted by the Reapers of Hellsbreach and wanted by Earth Fleet, Kin Roland hides on a lost planet near an unstable wormhole.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When a distant space battle propels a ravaged Earth Fleet Armada through the same wormhole, a Reaper follows, hunting for the man who burned his home world. Kin fights to save a mysterious native of Crashdown from the Reaper and learns there are worse things in the galaxy than the nightmare hunting him. The end is coming and he is about to pay for a sin that will change the galaxy forever. </span></span></div>
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Books</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Enemy of Man: Book One in the Chronicles of Kin Roland was written for fans of military science fiction and science fiction adventure. Readers who enjoyed Starship Troopers or Space Marines will appreciate this genre variation. Powered armor only gets a soldier so far. Battlefield experience, guts, and loyal friends make Armageddon fun. </span></span></div>
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Movies</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you love movies like Aliens, Predator, The Chronicles of Riddick, or Serenity, then you might find the heroes and creatures in Enemy of Man dangerous, determined, and ready to risk it all. It’s all about action and suspense, with a dash of romance—or perhaps flash romance. </span></span></div>
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From the Author</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for your interest in my novel, Enemy of Man. I hope you chose to read the book and enjoy every page. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you have already read Enemy of Man, how was it? Reviews are appreciated! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have a great day and be safe.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Buy Now @ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Enemy-Man-Chronicles-Kin-Roland-ebook/dp/B00DAIQO9A?tag=booaremag-20" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Amazon</a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Genre – Science Fiction</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Rating – R</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>More details about <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Scott-Moon/e/B0082VIWL8/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">the author</a></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <b>Connect</b> with Scott Moon on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/scottmoonwriter" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Facebook</a> & <a href="https://twitter.com/Scottmoonwriter" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></span></div>
Mickalia Peckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00019698247961366566noreply@blogger.com0